Spent on dolls today : $7.50
Don't mind me, I'm just bitter, and for once, it's not because I'm sick. Despite having a pretty nice, if tiring, day, finding two great Barbie dolls and five mini Disney Princess ones (more later), and being able to get out in some fresh air and feel just inches from ‘healthy', I'm still bitter.
Here's a bit of confession time. Between the candy corn project and Dearest Son's costume laundry, I was up until 2am last night. And I got up at 6. I really pushed myself through the school project, when I should have just let it go... but no one can tell me anything, once I get a notion, I'll move heaven and earth, time and space to make it happen. Done it before, will probably do similar stupid stuff ‘til I die. Normally, I wouldn't bug you guys with this information, it's enough to say I spent ‘around' eight hours on the candy corn, even when I know it's probably closer to ten, and my bedtime, sick or not, isn't something ya'll need to worry about. I always want to paint things better than they are.
Anyway. I got them dropped off, with felt to personalize them cut and ready to go. The tray of spare scraps was overflowing with cutaway from the project and six other colors from my stash. I was so happy I'd made the effort, the kids were gonna have a great party, with something neat to show off ! Dearest came home, and... the candy corn was exactly as I'd sent it, with the felt strips tucked into one side of the ‘haul bag'. Well, not exactly as I sent it, his had a wide strip of acid green frosting up the front. When I asked, he said they didn't have time for it.
(sigh) Didn't have time...Arrrgh ! What would have happened if I ‘didn't have time' last night when I was still stitching the bloody things together at 1 in the blasted morning ? If I'd given up when my arms and fingers started to hurt ? Or I didn't have the strength to turn them in today because I was up all danged night ? My morning was a true ‘h#ll day' - more later - and there were other things I could have done with my life. I understand, not everything works as planned, but... I can't help but be a bit bitter about it. And the ‘Christmas tree' thing is right out. From now on, I'm sending a bag of Chee-tohs, and that's more than 60% of parents do for these blasted no-time school parties. I'm sorry to vent here, but it's not like I can say anything or blast at the Homeroom parent or his teacher. I busted my butt and got boned for it. Would have been nice if one or the other had called me to say they couldn't use my efforts, but they didn't, their choice, I had to hear it from our son. My mistake. It won't happen again.
OK, I'm gonna calm down now. What's done is done, all I can do is learn and go on... back to your normal blog entry, already in progress...
Today was just one of those H#ll Days. Was up late last night with the candy corn project and prepping Dearest Son's costume, so I didn't get to lie down long, but I was asleep as soon as my head came near horizontal. Swatted the snooze until I overslept a bit, but it was just a few minutes. Dearest was cooperative, and we had fun getting him in costume. About all he has to do is swap boots for sneakers for PE.
I decided to give myself a bit of a break, and told his teacher and the Homeroom Parent I'd drop the candy corn craft stuff by the office around 10am. Originally, I'd intended to be there around 9am, but I was dirt-tired. So I took an hour's nap - I only got two campaigning idiot phonecalls during that hour ! - and got a bite to eat. Of course, now the phone was eerily silent. Once I got all the black and white felt pieces cut out, I discovered we didn't have enough baggies, so instead, I sent ‘em along inside a small sack, with a note to the Homeroom Parent. Hey, it keeps the waste down, right ?
Had it all bagged and ready to go when I got a knock at the door. We sublet land to a nice lady for her horses. Well, Animal Protection was here to tell me one of them had gotten out ! Yikes ! I called the horses' owner, and she was here in jig time. He'd gotten back inside, somehow, and none were hurt, but what a scare ! She's checking for fence breaks.
So now, I'm a half-hour later than I said I'd be, but not much for it. The phone rang again, and it was DFIL, organizing the weekend. Necessary, and always nice to hear his voice, but... Got all that sorted out, and then I couldn't find my blasted keys !
With the candy corn finally out of my life, I realized that I forgot to take a picture of them all. D'oh ! Oh, well. Headed on to Mal-Wart for my meds of the month, when Beloved Hubby calls - since it's so close to lunch, it'd be great if I could pick up a rotisserie chicken ! Well, the juicy fowl of the day weren't quite done, so I got a few other things we needed... and then they were done, but no one had packed them up yet. Ended up standing around for 15 minutes, behind two other chicken aficionados with another behind me, waiting for someone with the skill, determination, and a quarter hour to put them into little plastic sarcophagi. I felt sorry for the guy at the head of the line, he only had 30min. for lunch !
At least he wasn't behind the nice older lady who, after having a satisfying conversation with the Express Lane cashier, remembered to dig in the Samsonite luggage that served as her purse, for her checkbook. (sigh) I wasn't that tired when I started the odyssey, but by the time I got out of Mal-Wart, I was wiped out !
But the long-awaited chicken was heartening, and I had an hour before the bus, so I headed off to the Flea Market ! Turns out it is this weekend, and I wanted to go. The nice lady I'd bought the Sew Perfect and Folding house from was there, but she didn't have any more major buys. She did have tons and piles of stuff, and I extracted a few bits and pieces from ‘em.
And, I now have another Ballerina and Malibu ! Add a Sweet Sixteen or Quick Curl, and you'd have most of my childhood, right there. They were both filthy, but cleaning ‘em is part of the fun, and it wasn't long before I had them nice and shiny. Ballerina needs a reroot - yaaay ! I've always wanted a brunette Ballerina ! - and Malibu does, too, but she's fine for now. Her legs are sooo cool ! The back of her left knee is split, but they click 5 (!) times ! They both have some foot chews, and some scrapes and stains here and there, but I love ‘em both, and a buck each was soo cheap for all this fun. Whoo-hoo ! You'll get their photo tomorrow, promise !
Few weeks ago, in an LDP lot I got off eBay, I got one of those ‘Musical Princess' dolls of Snow White. Their stands play some signature music, while the miniature 6" doll wears one of the character's iconic gowns. These started coming out around 1994, and worked through several permutations - different gowns/music, hollowed out for bubble solution and perfume, twirling stands, on and on. Without even changing the ‘Disney Princess' banner at the top, they started adding Princes to the lot, and selling paired sets that wore ice skates and had special couples stands. Very successful line for Mattel.
And before today, I only had a wrecked-hair Snow. It took a while to get her hair back to ‘Snow' from ‘Bride of Frankenstein' ! But now she can have her own tea party - for 50c each, I snagged Belle, Cinderella, two Jasmines, and Aurora ! Three of them have the sane ‘wedge' feet as Snow, but Cinda and one Jazzie actually wear character-correct molded shoes. Normally, I wouldn't have snagged two Jasmines, but one wears a white Cinderella dress ! They were all dressed, too. Just need clean-up and hair brushing. Sweeet ! I think I'm only missing an Ariel and Pocahontas, if I wanted one of each Princess character made.
I also scored an interesting Barbie figure - I'm guessing it came from a cake. You'll get her photo soon, because I don't know who she is ! Also possibly originating as dessert décor is a pretty blowing-wind gown Belle, and a Happy Meal set of Aladdin and Jasmine figures. LDP Jasmine didn't have a doll of herself, so I was happy to find them. I also got a Fisher Price Cinderella toddler figure, a Polly Pocket -size plastic Cinderella carriage, and for Dearest, a Luke Skywalker figure and a Lego Happy Meal toy of a skateboarder. All these goodies combined came to a staggering $8.50.
The booth I mentally call The Official Flea Market Barbie Store was back - she had the pink version of the A-frame Dream House, that really huge one. $65. Which is about average for it. It figures in many ‘wanted but never got' grown collector's psyches ! I bought the 1978 orange/yellow one for $15. in 2001, and for such a huge structure, it really doesn't have that much space inside. By the time I got a room set up, there was barely space for one doll, much less two. So it got left behind in The Big Move. Still, it's a nice house, and visually unique. I just prefer what I already have, much to Beloved Hubby's relief ! I'd just paid $1. each for Ballerina and Malibu, so all her modern blondes ($3.) weren't as eye-catching. Really, if I buy any Barbie dolls these days, it's either male dolls, late 80s Midges, or Steffie-faced girls. With the occasional Vintage - or near Vintage - find.
I may just stay home tomorrow... I'm kinda dizzy right now, and very, very sleepy. You'd think the four cans of soda I've had today would have kept me going, but I'm crashin' hard. Hope your Halloween was fun - mine was full of tricks and treats !
You pit a smile on their faces for sure. And great haul at the flea market. I miss finding good deals. I just never make it to thrift stores and such any more. I live through your good luck. 
